TEHRAN, Mar. 27 (Press Shia Agency) – Head of Interior Ministry’s Elections Headquarter has announced this morning that there has been 14% rise in number of candidacies this year.

With deadline for registration as a candidate for city and villages councils across the country arriving at last midnight, Ali Asghar Ahmadi, Head of Elections Headquarter in Ministry of Interior Affairs appeared this morning in fornt of media representatives to report the latest official figures.

According to Ahmadi, during the registration time from 15 to 26 of March, 287,425 people have registered their candidacy which is 14 per cent more than previous round four years ago.

Ahmadi elaborated that 54,858 candidates which is about 20 percent of the whole candidates are running for city councils and 232,537 nominees are running for village councils.

The figures include 17,885 women and 269,540 men, where 6,743 women are running in cities and 11,142 women compete in villages.

Meanwhile, Afzal Abad village in Khash in Sistan Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran has set a record with all candidates running for village council being female.